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Summary List of stories Phase II Night: Ashes, Metal, And Corruption << chapter 66 Chapter 67 of 75 Solemn Lamentation chapter 68 >> << previous scene Scene 2 of 2 next scene >> Location Participants Time Summary Prologue | Phase I | Phase II | Epilogue 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 Text After only two days of rest, Scrivener and Luna had both recovered enough to make the journey back to Ponyville. They were met at the gates by Celestia, who had replaced her golden peytral with one of ashwood, a black scarf tied tight around her neck. She greeted them solemnly, and she and Luna bowed their heads silently to each other for a long few moments before she traded tight hugs with each of them, and led them back to the Ponyville library. They spent an hour in gentle quiet with each other: Celestia was trying her hardest to keep her head high, but it was hard for her. Harder than most could imagine: she had lost a father figure, a friend, a mentor, all at once; someone she had loved, in spite of whatever the past may have held. Someone she had perhaps even carried a torch for, in her heart of hearts. The funeral service itself was held out in the fields around Ponyville: there was no body, but Odin's cane was placed in a coffin, which was filled with true treasures; not gold and jewels, but memories. Pictures, tokens of affection, prose and well-wishes written on parchment or carved in wood. And the coffin itself rested in a funeral barge: a ship that would never know water, moored upon stones and timber in the green field. Everyone was here: almost the entire town, and more: Nibelung of every rank, Strange Ones, people who had come from far and wide. Even the spirits of the dead could be seen, flickering here and there amidst the crowd, as Kvasir stood in front of the coffin with his eyes closed and head bowed against the wood, in his unicorn shape but black hands digging thin scratches against the surface as he whispered: "I didn't learn enough." "You learned plenty, my friend." Celestia said quietly, and Kvasir looked silently over his shoulder as she approached in full raiment, her golden armor gleaming and Tyrfing glimmering over her back as if the sword itself was shedding sorrow. "Valhalla is in good hands. I have faith that you will do well." "Only if you and Sleipnir continue to help me. Only if..." Kvasir looked silently towards the boat, and then he sighed softly and stepped slowly backwards on his hooves, clenching his hands tightly together in front of himself before he closed his eyes and bowed his head forwards. "I'm sorry. Shall we?" Celestia nodded slowly, turning around as they were joined by two others: Sleipnir and Luna, both dressed in their own armor, Luna's spear sheathed on her own back and a heavy shield over Sleipnir's. They both turned, and Celestia glanced towards her brother... but the vine-maned stallion only smiled at her, shaking his head and saying softly: "Thou hast a far finer voice for this, Celestia... and I think 'tis... 'tis more fitting for thou to give the eulogy than I." Celestia looked silently at her brother... then she turned and traded a quick embrace with him before nodding once as he kissed her forehead, reassuring her with a gentle murmur before they parted, and the ivory winged unicorn stepped forwards, taking a slow breath and bowing her head as she closed her eyes and began calmly: "I speak to you today not as Baroness, or as Celestia, but as Freya. I speak to you of Odin, who found honor and nobility and true strength not in his role as King of the Aesir... but walking here, amongst those he'd created simply to gaze upon as entertainment and toys... but came to care for, each and every one of us. Who he dedicated and devoted his life to defending, to protecting, to teaching. Each and every one of us came to owe him thanks, for everything he did: not in our birth, but in the way he tried not only to amend his mistakes... but improve life for each and every person he came to met. "And he thought of us all, everyone here, be they Nibelung, Skin Walker, Pony, Demon or God or anything else... he thought of each and every one of us as a person first. Our species, our strengths and weaknesses, they did not matter. In his eyes, we all came to be seen as worthy of respect, and fair treatment." Celestia continued quietly, bowing her head forwards and closing her eyes. "And for this, I commend him, and hope to learn from his example... for it was only all too recently that I still looked upon some as lesser, and some as greater, merely for what they had been born into. We cannot control what we are born into life as... but we can control what we become, and I am proud to stand with all of you here. To call myself a person, alongside other people... to understand, after all these years lived in darkness, that race and species do not matter. That our actions, and what we do with our lives and the cards we are dealt... that is all that matters. "Odin... would not want us to mourn. I have cried my tears for his loss, for the fact that... there are conversations I shall never have with him, things I will never get to say..." Celestia closed her eyes, smiling faintly. "I have cried for my selfish reasons, but I will not mourn him. I will celebrate what he has done in life... I will honor him and his wishes, as he deserves. As he has well-earned. And I will pray that he is able to rest in peace now, wherever he has gone. "Friends, family..." Celestia closed her eyes and bowed her head, then whispered in a voice that carried all the same to every ear and through every mind: "Hear me now. Odin, hear us all, our prayer, our wish, for you to rise, beyond Valhalla, beyond the stars, and to a place where all enemies have been vanquished, there is no more pain, no more despair, no more loss. Where family and friends all await in peace and prosperity, and you may have your well-earned and well-deserved rest. Hear us now, and hear our promise, that one day we will join you there, with our mothers and fathers, our sisters and brothers, our ancestors in a line leading all the way back to the beginning. In this place, of goodwill, where all arguments are forgotten and all strife has ended; await us there, with gladness and warmth in your heart, for the day we shall join you, and the brave will live forever, and true friends shall never be forced to part..." All heads bowed, all eyes closed, with Celestia's words: they seemed to echo through the meadow, through the hearts and minds of all gathered before Sleipnir pulled his shield off his back, beating a hoof against it in slow, easy rhythm, sending out thunderous rumbles as he threw his head back and began to sing in a rough, deep voice. Luna joined him after a moment, and then Celestia, even as Kvasir turned and silently touched the ship, the god looking silently down for a moment before he stepped back, leaving a deep, burning print where his hand had been before it burst into flames. And as the fire spread rapidly over the ship, the voices of Odin's children grew louder, singing praises in their ancient language as tears flowed down their faces and they turned to face the pyre, smiling even through their sorrows. Most of those gathered stayed to watch the pyre burn until the singing drew slowly to a halt, Sleipnir dropping his shield and bowing his head forwards with a tremble even as he continued to smile despite tears falling to the field below. Celestia stared into the flames, and Luna gazed up after the smoke towards the sky, breathing hard as Kvasir simply sat at the edge of the pyre, his back to the burning ship as he stared off into the distance. Slowly, the gathering began to filter away, until only a few were left to watch as the pyre burned down to ashes and embers. Life went on, after all... and Celestia knew that if they truly wanted Odin to be at peace, they would have to continue not only living their lives... but they would need to stop Clockwork World as well. Then the ivory equine frowned as clapping filled the air before she looked over her shoulder, and all eyes turned to watch as Charon calmly approached, his cowl pushed back enough to reveal his clicking mandibles as he continued to applaud slowly, mockingly. Celestia gritted her teeth as the creature approached, then shook his head slowly, saying coldly: "All of you, so upset over what could only be the expected outcome of the foolish life Odin led. He died the way he lived, that is all there is to it. Now, it is time for me to take my payment for all the work I have done helping the poor deluded fool, and I think it only right that I take that payment from Valhalla's new 'master.'" Charon smiled thinly as Celestia, Sleipnir, and Luna all stepped forwards with matching snarls, and the creature spread its arms as he strode fearlessly towards them, saying softly: "Oh please, little ones. You won't risk starting a war, not when the pathetic synthetics already have you crying and beaten. My friends and I did not help Valhalla because we liked Odin, after all. We did it because he knew things, and was still strong... still possessed enough power to be a threat to we who remain after all the wars and disputes and conflicts we have seen. "So it's very simple. Little Kvasir, false 'god,' I am here to collect payment on behalf of my associates, or we shall abandon Valhalla, and take all our allies with us. And on the way out, we will help ourselves to whatever we fancy. But if you offer us a fair sum or something of interest, our... 'partnership' can continue, and we will continue to aid you. It's a simple deal, is it not? And you, Kvasir, are no match for me, much less my associates. It would not be wise to deny this deal." Charon smiled, and then he frowned when Celestia said coldly: "Kvasir is not alone. Valhalla is strong... and he is under our protection." "You are just a pathetic pony, no longer a Valkyrie... and even if you do still think yourself some golden-fleeced warrior, I will not be spoken to by a worthless maid-" Charon reached forwards, seizing into Celestia's mane as he spoke... but the moment his claws touched her rainbow locks, there was a flash and the singing of steel before Charon's words cut off into screams of horror, blue and green blood bursting from the stump of his shoulder as his severed arm fell to the ground with a thick splatter. Tyrfing's blade gleamed, half-buried in the ground as Celestia snarled, shouting as the creature hurriedly staggered away from the three: "Perhaps now you shall learn to keep your treacherous hands to yourself, scum!" Charon screamed, then snarled as his scorpion's tail snapped up and out from beneath his cloak, stabbing viciously down towards Celestia; it clanged uselessly off Sleipnir's shield as the stallion leapt in front of her, however, the stinger bending as it was repelled before Charon shrieked again in pain as Luna's spear launched forwards and tore almost halfway through the thick end of the tail, sending up another spray of blood as it forcibly yanked the appendage towards them before Celestia flicked her horn upwards, eyes cold and merciless, and Tyrfing snapped free of the ground and lashed upwards, severing the scorpion's tail more than halfway down. Charon howled in misery and fell to his knees as Luna and Sleipnir anchored themselves to either side of Celestia, the creature grasping weakly at its severed limb as its tail snapped weakly back and forth behind it, spurting blood. It looked up with horror and fear in its eyes as Tyrfing slowly, dangerously lowered to press its heavy blade against the side of Charon's neck, the creature rasping hard as Celestia leaned forwards, saying calmly and clearly: "You will only leave with your life, filth, if you do what I say. You will take a message back to your masters, and tell them that we no longer require their aid. You will make it clear that they should leave quietly and peacefully with all their allies and forces. And you will never, ever set foot here again. Otherwise, your life is forfeit. Do I make myself clear?" "This... this is foolishness..." Charon whispered, and then his eyes widened when Tyrfing dragged firmly against his neck, cutting through the bunched-up cloth of cowl and cloak and into the flesh beneath. "Y-Yes! Yes, yes!" "Good." Celestia leaned calmly back, Tyrfing raising in the air, then slapping hard across Charon's face, knocking the creature sprawling on his back with a hiss of pain before he trembled when the enormous sword slowly aimed itself at his throat, Celestia's eyes burning down into the scorpion's as she said quietly: "Let me make this very clear: if you try and betray us, if any of your allies knocks so much as a stone loose in Valhalla while leaving, I will hunt you and your allies down, and make you suffer a thousand times the pain you have caused us. Am I understood?" Charon nodded hurriedly, dragging himself quickly backwards and away from the sword before the creature turned and scrambled quickly to his feet, staggering away and tossing terrified looks over his shoulder as he fled. Celestia simply watched calmly... and then she closed her eyes and flicked her horn, Tyrfing spinning once to rid its glowing blade of Charon's puerile blood before the weapon floated back onto her back. "Well. Now, that's a great way to end a funeral service." Pinkamena said mildly, and Celestia glanced towards her, a faint smile spreading over the ivory mare's features as the heavily-bandaged demon rested back with a grin, Scrivener Blooms and Twilight both staring with something like amazement as well. "Glad I stuck around some now." "Thank you, Pinkamena. I know you mean well." The ivory mare closed her eyes, bowing her head forwards as Luna rumbled and nodded approvingly, and Sleipnir grunted and stomped a hoof. Then Celestia hesitated before looking over her shoulder... but Kvasir only smiled and shook his head slowly, holding up a hand as he gazed over his shoulder at the smoldering pyre. "It's what Odin wanted. Valhalla... will endure." Kvasir said quietly, and he closed his eyes, bowing his head forwards silently. "I promise, that Valhalla will always endure." Category:Transcript Category:Story